Brian Schaefer
American soccer player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brian Schaefer (born April 17, 2002) is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS Next Pro.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 17, 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Seattle, Washington, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | FC Cincinnati 2 | ||
| Number | 38 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Jacksonville Armada | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2023 | South Florida Bulls | 53 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021 | Jacksonville Armada U-23 | ||
| 2022 | Tampa Bay United | 3 | (0) |
| 2023 | St. Petersburg FC | ||
| 2024– | FC Cincinnati 2 | 47 | (5) |
| 2025 | → Indy Eleven (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2026 | → Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:01, December 23, 2025 (UTC) | |||
Early life
Schaefer played youth soccer with the Jacksonville Armada.[1] Schaefer attended Fletcher High School and won the Gateway Conference championship in 2020 and was named the Player of the Year.[2][3]
College career
In 2020, Schaefer began attending the University of South Florida, where he played for the men's soccer team.[4] On March 6, 2021, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, for his first career collegiate goal,[5] subsequently being named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll.[6] At the end of his freshman season, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team.[7] In 2022, he was named to the All-ACC Second Team and an Academic All-District selection.[8][9]
Club career
In 2021, he played with the Jacksonville Armada U-23 in the National Premier Soccer League.[10]
In 2022, Schaefer played with Tampa Bay United in USL League Two.[11] In 2023, he played with St. Petersburg FC in USL League Two.[12]
At the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Schaefer was selected in the first round (27th overall) by FC Cincinnati.[1][13] After participating in training camp with the first team, he signed a professional contract with the second team, FC Cincinnati 2 of MLS Next Pro, in February.[14] He made his debut on March 17 against Chicago Fire FC II.[15] He scored his first goal on June 15 against Carolina Core FC.[16]
Schaefer scored his first goal of the 2025 MLS Next Pro season on April 20, 2025, in a 3–1 home victory over the New York Red Bulls II.[17]
Schaefer joined USL Championship team Indy Eleven on loan on September 3, 2025.[18] He made his first appearance for the club on the same day, in a 0–2 away league victory over Hartford Athletic, replacing midfielder James Murphy in the 61st minute.[19] He scored his first goal for the club on September 27, 2025, in a 2–1 home victory over FC Tulsa.[20] Schaefer's loan expired at the end of the 2025 season, returning to FC Cincinnati 2.[21]